Horizontal bar.



w; s. TOTHLL.

HORIZONTAL BAR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27. I918.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

WILLIAM S. TOTHILL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HORIZONTAL BAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

Application filed February 27, 1918. Serial No. 219,442.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM S. To'r- I-IILL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horizontal Bars, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to horizontal bars of the type used on playgrounds and athletic fields. In the type of horizontal bar now in general use, owing to the distance that the standards or uprights are spaced apart it is necessary for two persons to adjust the crossbar up and down as there is a securing device at each end of the cross-bar, which securing devices are rigidly connected with the cross-bar and are provided with bolts which pass through the securing devices and through holes in the standards or uprights that support the cross-bar. If one person were to attempt to adjust the cross-bar of the device now in common use and raised or lowered one end of the cross-bar it would be very diflicult to afterward raise or lower the other end as it would bind where it is connected to the upright and could not be readily released, thereby making it necessary to raise or lower both ends simultaneously. It is the object of my invention to obviate the necessity for two persons to adjust the cross-bar up and down, as with my improved device one person can very easily and quickly adjust the height of said cross-bar, and lock the same in position.

In the drawings:

. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a horizontal bar device embodying my improved locking means;

Fig. 2 is a detail, being an enlarged View, of a portion of one of the supporting standards or uprights, and showing in end elevation the cross-bar and the locking means connected therewith; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, being a vertical cross-section taken at line 3-3 of Fig. 2'showing-my improved locking means in side elevation and partly broken away to show the manner of connecting the two parts thereof.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference eharacters,--

1011 indicate the supporting standards or upright-s which are preferably made in tubular form and are embedded in suitable bases 1213, respectively, being also provided with suitable caps 1t15, respectively, at their upper ends. Said standards or uprights are provided with holes 16 tl1erethrough, at equal distances apart. 17 indicates a cross-bar adapted to be passed through and secured in any two corresponding holes 16 in the standards or uprights.

In my improved locking device as shown, the part 18 is made of a flat piece bent upon itself to form an eye 19 at its upper end, and

at its lower end is bent to provide two parallel spaced-apart portions 2021 that receive between theni the flattened portion of a pin 22. This pin is connected to the part 18 by means of a bolt or rivet 23 passing through the separated portions 20--2l and through the flattened portion of the pin 22. The opening in the flattened portion of the pin 22 through which the bolt 23 passes is made in the form of a slot, as indicated by 24 in Fig. 3, and of a width slightly larger than the diameter of the bolt or rivet 23, in order to give a sufiicient play up and down of the member 18 relative to the pin 22 so as to allow for any variations that may occur in the distances between the holes 16, and thereby prevent binding of the parts. The eye 19 at the upper end of the member 18 is firmly connected to the cross-bar 17 near one end thereof by means of a rivet 25 which passes through said eye and through the cross-bar 17. The opposite end of the cross-bar 17 is adapted to be inserted in a corresponding hole 16in the other standard or upright, and rests therein, as shown in Fig.1.

As shown, the cylindrical end of the pin 22 is adapted to be inserted into the next opening or hole 16 below the opening through which the cross-bar 17 passes. The pin 22 is provided with a notch 26 near the end of the cylindrical portion, as shown, which engages the edge of the hole 16 on the inside wall of the tubular standard or upright. The diameter of the cylindrical end of the pin 22 is made slightly less than the diame ter of the openings or holes 16 in the stand-' ards or uprights in order to permit a little play so that the notch 26 which engages the lower portion of the hole 16 may be released by pressing down on the upper edge of the.

the pin 22 so as to turn such pin on the bolt 23 sufficiently to release the notch 26 from the lower edge of that hole 16-in'whichthe said pin 22 lies. The pin can then be pulled out of such hole 16 and as the cross-bar 17 is made fast to the part 18 it is also withdrawn from' engagement with the opposite standard or upright at the same time, and thereafter the operator will draw the crossbar 1'? completely out preparatory to securing it in place in another set of holes 16. When it is so placed in another set of holes the pin 22 is to be inserted in thehole below the one in which the cross-bar 17 is inserted, and the weight of the pin 22 forces the notch 26 into engagement with the lower edge of the hole 16 on the inside of the standard or upright 11, thereby locking the device in position, and securely holding the cross-bar.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described, the.

combination with a pair of uprights and a cross-bar, said uprights having means for to engage one of said uprights when the cross-bar is imposition, said pin extending in the same direction as the cross-bar and in substantiallythe same vertical plane as the cross-bar.

2. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a pair of uprights and a cross-bar, said uprights having means for supporting the crossbar, of an arm secured to said cross-bar and extendingalongside of and substantially parallel with one of said uprights, and a pin carried by said arm adapted to engage said last-mentioned upright, said 'pin extending in the same direction as the cross-bar.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of uprights and a cross-bar, said uprights each having-a plurality of means for supporting the cross-bar in different horizontal positions, of an arm secured to and extending at an angle from said cross-bar, and a laterally-extending pin carried by said arm adapted to engage one of thecross-bar supporting means on one of the uprights when the cross-bar is in another of such supporting means.

4. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a pair of uprights and a;

the cross-bar supporting means on one of the uprights when the cross-bar is in another of such supporting means, and means for loosely connecting said pin and arm together to allow for variation in distance between said cross-bar supporting means.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of uprights and a crossbar, said uprights each having a plurality of means for supporting the crossbar in different horizontal positions, of an arm secured to and extending at substantially a right angle from said cross bar, and a laterally-extending pin pivotally connected with said arm to have a limited movement in a vertical plane, said pin engaging one of said cross-bar supporting means when the crossbar is in position and being provided with means for positively engaging such supporting means to lock the pin and cross-bar in place.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of hollow metal uprights and a cross-bar, said-uprights each having a series of holes through which'the cross-bar is adapted to be passed, of an arm secured to and extending at substantially a right angle from said cross-bar, and'a laterally-extending pin loosely connected with said arm, said pin projecting into one of the holes inone upright when the cross-bar is in position and said pin being notched to engage the wall of the upright that it enters.

7. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a pair of uprights and a cross-bar adjustably supported thereby, said uprights, and a laterally projecting membercarried by" said arm for entering any one of said openings in sald last-mentioned upright. 8. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a pair of uprights and a. cross-bar adjustably supported thereby,-saiduprights each having a series of openings therem spaced a dlstance apart, of an arm secured to and extendingv at an anglev from said cross-bar so that it will lie alongside of and substantiallyparallel with one of said uprights, and a laterally projecting member carried by said arm for entering any one of said openings in said last-mentioned upright, said laterally projecting member being adapted to interlock with such up right. when in any one of said openings.

WILLIAMS. TOTHILL.

('Jopiesv of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washingtomfi. G. 

